THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all for coming. Pretty soon, I'm going to
sign an important piece of legislation that will highlight our
government's highest responsibility, and that's to protect the American
people. The Department of Homeland Security plays a critical role in
fulfilling this responsibility every day. Since it's creation in 2003,
the Department has strengthened security of our borders, airports,
seaports, and other key infrastructure. It's helped give our partners
in local and state law enforcement the tools they need to do their jobs.

The legislation I sign today provides about $33.8 billion in funding to
help secure the homeland. This is a good bill. It will help us deploy
nuclear detection equipment at our ports of entry, raise security
standards at the nation's chemical plants, safeguard American cities
against weapons of mass destruction, and stop terrorists seeking to
enter our country.

The bill will also help our government better respond to emergencies and
natural disasters by strengthening the capabilities of the Federal
Emergency Management Agency. This legislation will give us better tools
to enforce our immigration laws and to secure our southern border.

This bill is going to make this country safe, for all our citizens, and
I appreciate the members of the Congress who have joined me to witness
this signing: Senator Jon Kyl, J.D. Hayworth, Trent Franks, and Rick
Renzi. These members supported this good bill, and I thank them for
their support. I'm also pleased that Governor Janet Napolitano has
joined us. Governor, thank you for being here. We're honored to have
you up here with us.

The bill I sign helps us address one of the central issues facing all
states, but particularly a state like Arizona, and that's illegal
immigration. I understand full well that illegal immigration puts
pressure on the public schools and hospitals. It strains state and
local budgets. In some communities, it increases crime. The
administration and Congress have been taking decisive steps to address
this issue.

Since I took office, we've increased funding for our border security
from $4.6 billion in 2001, to $9.5 billion in 2006. We have increased
the number of Border Patrol agents from about 9,000 to 12,000. We
significantly decreased the time it takes to return illegal immigrants
to their home countries. They apprehended and sent home more than 6
million people entering this country illegally. We stepped up work site
enforcement against companies who knowingly hire illegal workers. We're
sending a clear signal that we're a nation of law, and laws will be
enforced.

We've made progress in addressing illegal immigration, but there is a
lot more work to be done. This May, I asked Congress to fund
improvements in infrastructure, technology, and manpower at the border,
and I appreciate Congress delivering upon my requests.

The bill I sign today includes nearly $1.2 billion in additional funding
for strengthening the border, for new infrastructure and technology that
will help us do our job. It provides funding for more border fencing,
vehicle barriers, and lighting, for cutting-edge technology, including
ground base radar, infrared cameras, and advance sensors that will help
prevent illegal crossings along our southern border. That's what the
people of this country want. They want to know that we're modernizing
the border so we can better secure the border.

The bill also supports our efforts to increase the number of Border
Patrol agents to about 18,000 by the end of 2008. I recognized,
Congress recognized that we needed more Border Patrol agents to do the
job. So we were in Artesia, New Mexico earlier, and went to the Border
Patrol Training Center; they were thanked first-hand, the men and women
who are willing to go out and do hard work and help secure a really long
border. And I appreciate the service of the Border Patrol.

It provides funding for about 1,500 additional Border Patrol agents. In
other words, this is part of a doubling of the Border Patrol that I
called for earlier in my administration. I fully understand it's going
to take time to recruit and train these Border Patrol, and that's why,
in coordination with the governors, we deployed 6,000 National Guard
members to the southern border, and they're doing a fine job.

I remember the outcry when I thought it was a good -- told the American
people I thought it was a good idea to send them down there. But,
thankfully, we did. And they're helping the Border Patrol. And when
the Border Patrol agencies -- number of agents double, then we're not
going to need the National Guard. But in the meantime, America owes
them a debt of gratitude and thanks.

The bill I sign today also includes a 25 percent increase for funding
for immigration and customs enforcement. This funding will help federal
agents better enforce our immigration laws inside our country. It will
allow us to add at least 6,700 new beds in detention centers. Part of
the problem we face is that illegal immigrant that was caught sneaking
into the country, and because there was no detention beds, the Border
Patrol would say, why don't you check back in with us after awhile.
There's no place to hold you, so check back in with the judges. And of
course, they didn't check back in. It created a lot of frustration with
the Border Patrol.

So we're in the process of ending catch and release. This bill will
help us end catch and release. You see, when people know that they'll
be caught and sent home if they enter the country illegally, they're
going to be less likely to try to enter illegally in the first place.

The funds that Congress has appropriated are critical for our efforts to
secure this border and enforce our laws. Yet, we must also recognize
that enforcement alone is not going to work. You need comprehensive
reform that provides a legal way for people to work here on a temporary
basis. It's going to relieve pressure on the border. It will enable
our Border Patrol agents to do a better job when we reduce the number of
people trying to sneak into the country. It will free up our law
enforcement officers to focus on criminals and drug dealers and
terrorists and others who mean us harm.

We'll continue to work with Congress to pass comprehensive immigration
reform that secures this border, upholds the laws, and honors our
nation's proud heritage as a land of immigrants.

I want to thank the members of Congress who have joined me for this
important bill signing. And now it's my honor to sign the Department of
Homeland Security Appropriations Act for 2007.